


Make it Rain

by roxminallo



Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, Anal Sex, M/M, Midgar, Oral Sex, Prostitution, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2018-10-12 14:17:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10492695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roxminallo/pseuds/roxminallo





	1. Wrong Place at the Right Time

* * *

**_Cloud Strife_ **

I balled my fists into the cool linen sheets beneath me, arching my back as I clenched my jaws and eyes to avoid yelling out in pain. My knees splayed further out to the sides, my body pressed roughly against the bed, rocking back and forth quickly.

“Fuck you’re so tight,” the man above me moaned out in pleasure; I felt immediately sick from the way he spoke. Usually the men are nice enough to at least use lube before entering me, some are even considerate enough to prep me, and allow me to adjust to what I’m about to feel. Some however pay no attention to _my_ needs, and I’ll lie there writhing in pain until they’re one hundred percent satisfied. I always power through though, because those men always pay more.

“You like that big cock, faggot?” He spits, slapping my ass hard as I felt him pound into me at an intense speed. I know he expects me to moan in pleasure and talk back, so I swallow my pride and pretend for a moment that I wanted this. That I _needed_ this.

“O-Oh my god!” I gasp. “Fuck me harder!” I scream, clenching the sheets even tighter. It’s easier to scream these lies because at least it eases _some_ of the pain.

“Fucking slut. You love my cock, fucking whore,” he continued to pound into me, never allowing me breaks to adjust to his considerable length. I moan, a balanced mix between pain and pleasure, a sound I’ve learned to perfect under any circumstance of discomfort. Men like him like knowing they are inflicting pain when they fuck, so I don’t have to hide my pain all that much.

“Tell me what you want, faggot,” he moans. My head spins, and my vision blurs, the pain subsiding just enough that I know I can power through the rest of what he is going to do to me.

“F-Fucking pound my hole,” I scream, immediately making my stomach drop from the fake pleading tone of my voice. I’ve learned that it’s easier to just do what they want you to do, because they’ll cum faster. “Harder!” I scream.

As hard as it is for me to comprehend, I feel him fuck me at an even greater speed than before. I’m allowing myself to moan out the sounds of pain that want to escape, no longer feeling the need to keep anything bottled up. He wants this. I know he’s close. I feel his pelvic bone slap against my ass, creating loud claps as he fucks me. His breathing is fast and irregular, and his hold on my hips tighten as he yells.

“Fuck! I’m gonna-” he doesn’t finish. He presses into me hard, allowing his cum to shoot straight into me. I feel his hot liquid coat my insides as I scream out with pain and pleasure. Pain, because I don’t think I’ve ever had sex with somebody of this size, and pleasure because I know it’s finally over. His breathing is rugged as he slides out of me quickly, a loud whimper escaping my lips as the pain doubles. He slaps my ass and gets off of the bed, walking slowly over to his nightstand. I allow myself to lie down for as long as possible, knowing that he’ll soon instruct me to leave. I feel him toss money at me, a few bills, hoping that he was generous enough to give me more than we originally agreed on.

“Get out before my wife comes home,” he said, never making eye contact with me. I don’t test my luck; I got up quickly, ignoring the searing pain that shot up my back as I slipped on my clothes as fast as possible. A tight pair of black jeans, and a half sheer white and black tank top. I picked up the money, and breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that this was worth it. He did give me more than what we discussed. I threw my shoes on and immediately left his room, walking down the hall and out the door as fast as I could.

It hurts to walk, and I can only imagine how it’s going to feel when I need to dance in an hour. I’m lucky that I was able to find a client so early, and one that paid me what I make in a whole week at the club.

I walked down the street as fast as I could, spotting the Bee Hive in the distance. The sun was setting, and the city lights began to illuminate the streets of Sector Six, casting a glowing energy on the streets. I circled around the building and entered through the stage door, the purple lights flooding my vision, as I turned right and walked up the narrow staircase. I walked through the dimly lit hallway to the end, and entered the door that was half open, a strong and tall man standing outside.

I tell myself all the time that I hate working here, but in reality, stripping at the Bee Hive is a lot tamer than my second source of income. Plus, depending on how many dances I do in a night, it’s a better workout than basic training. Of course, I’d rather not have _any_ of the jobs I do. I walked into the bathroom and quickly locked the door behind me, as I began to take my clothes off, a thin film of sweat causing them to stick slightly. I turned the shower on, twisting the knob all the way to the left hoping that the steam and hot water would relax my muscles, and make me feel better. It’s sad to say that I wasn’t taking a shower because I felt dirty, but it’s worse to think that you get used to that feeling.

I stepped into the shower, immediately relaxing under the pounding stream of hot water against my tight skin. I washed quickly, stretching my muscles every once in a while, and quickly turned the shower off. I wrapped a towel around my waist and stepped back into the empty dressing room, the other boys probably already waiting down near the stage.

Quickly drying off, I slid into a small pair of underwear, my rip away jeans, and a very thin, very revealing tank top. Running out the door and down the same long hallway, I turned right down the staircase, and made my way to the backstage area, the stage lights doing little to show me where I was going. Tonight I was stationed on stage right, which is usually near the highest payers. I couldn’t help but think how lucky I am this week, but the thought turned sour almost immediately. I ignored the stares and scoffs that came from the other boys as I walked into my position. There’s a metal pole, and a small strip of stage, the only thing _actually_ separating me from everyone in the audience. We open up with a choreographed company strip dance every other night, a new dance choreographed every week. After that, there are solo strips, duets, and sometimes trios. Throughout all of this, men can pay a hefty price for a solo in a private room. There are strict policies regarding behavior in that room, and most of the time that I’m in there the man is too drunk and belligerent to follow them, resulting in his _immediate_ removal from the club. I leaned against the pole as the lights went down, and my stomach bubbled from the rapturous applause. The curtain slowly began to move up as the music started to play. Men of all ages, with stacks of dollars in their hands and cigarette’s hanging out of their mouths whooped and hollered as the lights came up on the eight of us plastered across the stage.

The idea of the company strip is to attract enough attention so that somebody requests you throughout the night. I’m thankful that the lights are so blinding, blocking me from seeing three feet in front of me, because if I had to see their faces, I wouldn’t be able to concentrate. I began the dance, rolling my hips into the pole, trying to keep in time to the music as it was drowned out by the sounds of hungry men.

My eyes danced across the back of the club, the only area that I could actually see, and a small gasp escaped my lips. Most of the time that I think I see someone I know, it’s usually my mind playing tricks on me. Nobody in Soldier is gay, let alone dumb enough to come to a male strip club, but this time I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’ve finally landed in hot water.

The men before us are getting antsy and pleading with their eyes as we begin to strip off our shirts smoothly. We earn a few cheers, but those cheers turn into screams when our hands snake towards our pants. We grabbed ahold of the sides of our knees ripped, revealing our bodies in small pairs of underwear. The whistles and screams became drowning as I felt hands press roughly into my underwear, the paper feel of money scraping across my sensitive areas. I felt a hand grace my dick, and immediately turned away, rolling my hips towards the other side of the stage.

When somebodies hands get a little too _involved_ for your liking, you have to make a choice immediately. Allow it to happen, which grants you more money, and a better chance at a private showing, or turn away and pretend that it’s part of the choreography. I always chose the latter. I allowed my body to pulse and move with the other boys on stage in synchronized movement, biting my bottom lip and closing my eyes for what Tifa calls the ‘fuck me face.’ It usually works.

I tuned into the music and realized that the song was almost over. I turned from my portion of the stage and moved closer to the middle, where we congregate together and walk the mid-aisle procession. Well, _walk_ is a bad choice of words. I felt two hands come from behind me and squeeze at my inner thighs as I bent my legs and swirled my hips in a circle. I bent down with a flat back towards my feet, feeling another boys dick pressed against my ass. Slowly bringing my legs to straighten I felt a hand slap across my ass as I whipped my torso back to its up-right position. This is the choreographed sequence between the boys that always brings in the most money. For some reason, when we touch each other like this, it makes the men in the club suddenly lose hold of their wallets as they entrust our mid-section with their weekly paychecks. I’m not complaining. I walked forward, allowing my leg to swing around the cool metal pole as I spiral down to the floor allowing my legs to part into a split; my final pose for this group number. The music ends as the lights turn off abruptly, giving us time to clear the stage for the next number.

I smiled walking off the stage; I only have a solo strip for the rest of the night then it’s back to barracks early for once. I walked backstage ready to ascend the staircase when my boss stopped me.  

“Your solo strip is canceled,” Tifa smiled brightly, placing a hand roughly on my shoulder. She squeezed my shoulder gently, massaging a small circle into the tension that had quickly developed.  

“What? Why?” I questioned, not entirely upset, all of the dancers here hate doing solo strips. By the time the solos are happening, half of the men are either too drunk to notice, or in the private rooms with other boys.

“Because some gorgeous guy wants a private showing with you, and he seemed adamant that it happened as soon as possible,” she spoke smiling. My face flushed as Tifa laughed.

“I promise that this one doesn’t look crazy, and he looked like he had some money, so you’re in luck tonight. I told you it was due time before you reeled in a winner.”

“You’re lucky you’re my friend, Tifa. Otherwise, you’d be out one dancer.” I sighed, feeling her arms wrap around me. Tifa is my best friend, and I know she would never let me get hurt. As _sick_ as it sounds, Tifa runs a clean, and a caring business. She makes it seem like it isn’t degrading what we do every night, but that it’s actually a respectable job. On top of that, it took close to six months of me begging her before she even considered me as one of the dancers. When she finally agreed she had me audition, and that will go down as one of the single most embarrassing moments of my life.

“I love you too Cloud,” she smiled, slapping my ass playfully as I walked in the opposite direction of the dressing room. I grab a towel from the rack and dry off my body as best as I can. I’m not the biggest fan of private showings, but I _am_ good at them. The best part about them is that the money is better, resulting in a better week. From what I was paid today, to this, I couldn’t stop thinking how lucky I was.

I was led to a back room where there was only a faint purple light illuminating the area. We’re instructed to sit on the small stage and wait for our buyer to come in. When they come in, we sit them down, and then we get to work. Communication is key. Some guys don’t even want you to touch them lightly; they only want to see you dance. The others are usually more into the playful side of stripping. They are allowed to touch you, but the boundaries on touching are so strict, most men just let _you_ touch _them._  

I sat on the stage and sighed, leaning back on my arms, and crossed my legs at the ankles; I tilted my head back and closed my eyes. Just another hour, and I can go home early tonight. I smiled brightly, hearing the door open and close. I tilted my head back down and opened my eyes, my smile immediately melting off my face. My stomach clenched into knots, and I immediately felt the need to vomit.

I watched as the man sat down in the chair, eyes burrowing into my own intently. He tossed a bag onto the floor, and sat with his legs spread, as if this wasn’t awkward for him as well. There was no way that he didn’t know who I was, and I suddenly realized that the person I thought I saw when I was onstage wasn’t part of my imagination. Zack Fair was here, and I knew I was in trouble.

I slowly walked towards him, confusion written on my face as I try to stare into his eyes. He seemed uncomfortable, almost like he’s guilty that he’s having me do this, but before I could place my hands on his shoulders, he shoved what felt like clothes towards my chest.

“Get dressed,” he said softly. “Now.”

I moved away slowly, staring at the black hoodie and sweatpants that were in his hands extended to me. I found his eyes and I knew that he wasn’t pleased with me. I took the clothes from his hands, and put them on quickly, zipping the hoodie up to the middle of my chest, leaving some of my skin exposed to the air.

“You’re coming with me. You shouldn’t be here,” Zack said, standing up to reach towards my hand. I backed away quickly, confused at his tone.

“Neither should you,” I spoke softly earning an exasperated sigh from him.

“Cloud, you-”

“I’m surprised you even know me,” I said honestly. I’m a cadet, and this was my first year in basic training for Soldier. Why would a first class Soldier know my name? Of course, I know Zack’s name. Who doesn’t? He’s a national hero.

“It’s my job to know you. Now let’s go,” he doesn’t wait for me to answer, instead he leaves the room, and from the doorway I can see him exit the club, expecting me to leave as well. I looked back to the stage quickly, hoping that nobody bothers to tell Tifa that I was leaving early tonight. I know I have to though, because I’m sure Zack’s consequences are far, _far_ worse than Tifa’s.

 


	2. I Can Fix This

* * *

  _ **Cloud Strife  
**_

“You want to explain to me why you’re dancing at the Bee Hive?” Zack asked sternly as we walked down the sidewalk, the night air suddenly too cold for the hoodie and sweatpants he had given me.

“Probably no more than you want to explain why you were _at_ the Bee Hive,” I retorted quickly even though I knew I was in no position to fire smart comments back at the raven-haired man.

“Actually,” Zack paused, stopping abruptly on the dirty sidewalk, the breeze ruffling his hair gently. “I was told I’d find you there,” he said, his voice dripping with disappointment. I cringed, allowing my eyes to dart towards the ground. He had no right making me feel this dirty. “And let’s just say it’s better that I found you than somebody else.”

“How about we just forget that this happened, and I’ll go straight back to the barracks?” I bartered. I had full intention of returning to the club for my next shift, but if there were any way that I could convince Zack otherwise, I would oblige. He didn’t need to know about my personal life _or_ my financial problems.

“How about no?” He spoke easily, cracking a glistening smile as he began to walk again. His perfectly white teeth sent shivers down my spine, a small blush dancing across my face. I told myself that it was the breeze, and not the way that he looked into my eyes completely when he spoke. “You’re coming with me tonight, and we’re going to talk about the consequences of your actions.”

“Sir, I know the consequences. I don’t need you to tell me,” I sighed, following behind him slowly, my arms crossed to block my half exposed chest.

“First,” he stopped, placing a strong hand on my shoulder, squeezing tightly. My body tingled a second time, clearly the breeze playing tricks on me once again. “Don’t call me sir, especially after I just picked you up at a strip club,” he winked, letting out a smooth laugh. “Second, if you know the consequences, then why are you doing it?” His smile fell, the aura of a strict guardian painted on his face. “Listen, you have two choices. You come with me right now, or I’ll let Lazard deal with your punishment.”

“Fine!” I jumped, shaking my head from side to side. “Fine… I’ll go with you,” I sighed, rubbing my hands through my hair, taking notice of the victorious smile on his face. “Where are we going?” I asked, not attempting to hide the annoyance in my voice. I was frustrated that I wasn’t going to make enough money tonight. I was lucky enough to find somebody earlier to in the night, but I was banking on the extra money I’d have made from the club.

“Well,” he paused, beginning to walk again, looking both ways before crossing to the other side of the street. “I’m hungry, and I’m guessing you are too after that _captivating_ opening number,” he spoke sarcastically, turning in a circle while continuing to walk. I blushed, uncomfortable with the fact that he saw the first dance. On the corner of the block was the Flower Drum Diner, a small restaurant that I passed frequently on the way to and from work. I’ve never eaten there, and even though his tone annoyed _and_ embarrassed me, I couldn’t deny the roar of my empty stomach. The lights of the diner sign illuminated my entire body, and it made me feel completely naked. I laughed to myself, finding the irony humorous.

The interior was cutesy, blush pink, red, and yellow decorations littered around the small vicinity. It was small, but the food smelled incredible, and inviting.

“Zack!” A light and feminine voice filled the air as I lifted my head and stared at the waitress. Her brown hair flowed beautifully down her back in one single braid, and her smile seemed to show that her and Zack were not strangers. She ran up to him placing her arms around him tightly, the hug quickly being reciprocated.

“Aerith, I didn’t know you were working tonight,” he smiled, flashing his beautiful white teeth. His laugh was light as their arms dropped, but he never stopped smiling.

This was what the locals talked about when they screamed Zack’s name.

“Adelina called off tonight, so here I am,” she smiled brightly, grabbing two menus and quickly leading us to the back of the restaurant where a small booth was tucked away near the window. “Who’s your friend?” She asked softly, smiling in a way that suggested she already knew the answer to the question, but that wasn’t possible.

We sat down, Zack not even bothering to touch the menu. He stared at me and smiled. “This is Cloud. He’s a cadet this year for Soldier, and one of our most promising first years,” he said proudly, a dark blush dancing across my face. I turned away from the two, giving my cheeks a moment to cool down.

“Cloud, what do you want to eat?” He asked lightly, a friendly tone accompanying his words.

“I’m not hungry,” I replied, my face still turned to the window overlooking the street, the blush giving no notice of disappearing. I hated myself for feeling this way around him, but it was hard when you were this close to him. Zack Fair was no stranger to me, but before tonight I had thought I was a stranger to him. I didn’t think I’d ever sit in such friendly and close quarters with him, and if I was being entirely honest, it scared me. During training it was easy to steal a glance at him, especially when he was the one running combat simulation. The only difference between me and the other boys is that they would kill to be him, while I would kill to be with him.

“I’ll take two of my usual, beautiful,” he smiled flirtatiously succeeding in making the brown haired girl laugh as she gently swatted his arm. She pranced away quickly towards the kitchen and handed the cook the order she had written down. I turned towards Zack, a blank expression etched onto my face.

“I said I wasn’t hungry.”

“I don’t like eating in front of people,” he smiled, leaning back into the booth, crossing his arms. “And besides, we have a _lot_ to talk about.”

I looked down, fiddling my fingers together in attempt to relax my trembling hands. I breathed in deeply, not wanting to have to deal with explaining my reasoning behind why I strip.

“Cloud, look at me,” he said softly, the tone of his words massaging my ears gently, bringing my eyes up to stare right into his own. “If anybody from Soldier finds out, they’re going to send you straight back to Nibelheim,” he spoke, studying me well. I scrunched my eyes and leaned back in the booth.

“How do you know where I’m from?” I asked quietly, zipping the hoodie that he had given me up a few more inches, suddenly feeling the urge to cover my body as much as possible.

“I told you earlier, it’s my job to know all I can about the cadets. Especially the good ones,” he said, winking slyly. I could tell he was lying, but my mouth decided to move faster than my brain.

“What do you want me to do then, Zack? This is the only way I can pay for basic training,” I said, scoffing lightly as I crossed my arms. “My mom gave me all the money she could just to get me here, and I was too late to apply for an infantry scholarship. I can’t pay for this, Zack. My mom is practically killing herself to get payments in, all riding on the hope that I make it to First Class some day. I need to pay off the loans,” I pleaded. “Either way, it’s back to Nibelheim.”

“Cloud, all you-” He began, but I immediately cut him off.

“And who even told you I was there?” I pressed.

“Reno told me,” he said, silently thanking Aerith when she placed the glasses of water down on the table. I smiled, tight lipped, in her direction.

“The Turk?” I paused. “So what you’re saying is that Reno went to the Bee Hive one night, saw me there, and here we are?”

“Why does it matter?” He questioned, taking a large sip of water.

“It matters because you’re being so hypocritical, Zack,” I sighed, shaking my head.

“And how is that?” He smiled, leaning his arms on the table, bringing his face closer to me. I shuddered, leaning away.

“By _your_ logic, members of the Turks and First Class can _go_ to the Bee Hive, but someone as low as Infantry can’t perform? Nobody knows who I am, but people sure as hell do know who you two are. I don’t see your logic,” I spoke, getting increasingly angry. I knew he was just trying to help me cover my bases, but he had no right to tell me how I can and can’t earn money. He didn’t seem to understand that I didn’t _want_ to be doing what I do. Soldier is my dream, and I wasn’t about to let it die simply because I couldn’t pay for it. I swallowed, realizing that if he thought my job at the strip club was bad, then he had another thing coming.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t listen to you. Thanks for the clothes, I’ll get them back to you soon, but I don’t agree with you. I need the money,” I stood up, and immediately made my way towards the door. I heard him call my name from the back of the diner, but I didn’t bother to stop. I pushed the doors to the diner open roughly, a blast of cold air slapping across my body. I shivered, wrapping my arms around my torso protectively as I walked down the street towards the barracks.

Zack sighed heavily, running his hands through his hair with a frustrating moan. He looked over to Aerith and the cook and shook his head, shrugging non-apologetically. The cook slurred a colorful string of curse words, causing Aerith to laugh lightly before walking over to the booth.

“You’ve been waiting four months to talk to him, and he storms out? I thought you were _much_ better with wooing your crushes than that, Zack,” she smiled, causing the raven-haired man to sigh loudly and exit the booth quickly.

“I’ll see you soon, sorry for the dramatic exit!” He called over his shoulder, waving quickly to the other as he walked towards the entrance of the diner. He pressed the door open and jogged down the street.

“Cloud!” He yelled, causing me to abruptly stop and turn around. I honestly hadn’t anticipated him following me after the dismissive exit I had made. I tilted my head annoyingly and waited for him to finish jogging up to me, ignoring the fluttering feeling in my heart from the sight of it.

“Zack, I only know English, I don’t know what other language you want me to tell you that-”

“First, love your jokes, don’t get me wrong,” he smiled. “But update them. Second, if you won’t reason with quitting, then let’s make a proposition,” he spoke softly, stepping forward to be closer to me.

“What do you mean proposition?” I asked, curious, despite my better judgment. “And why do you want to help me? And don’t you dare use the stupid excuse that I’m a ‘promising candidate.’”

“I’m helping you, because I’m a nice person. And maybe you don’t believe it, but what I said to Aerith back there wasn’t to blow smoke up your ass. Don’t think for one second that the board doesn’t have their eye on you. Cloud, before you know it you’re going to be climbing the ranks.”

I blushed lightly, feeling his hands grip my shoulders gently. I immediately felt warmer, despite the harsh breeze whipping against my entire body. Despite my mind telling me to walk away, I listened.

“Fine,” I rolled my eyes. “What’s your plan?”

“Let me help you,” he smiled, dropping his arms from my shoulders. I sighed, turning around quickly as I began to walk towards the Shinra building.

“You can’t help me,” I tossed over my shoulder, only to quickly find him jumping in front of me, halting my steps.

“If the board knows your situation, they may alleviate some of the costs, maybe even put you on scholarship. They want you to be there Cloud, all you have to do is tell them at what cost you’re here-”

“You mean tell them that I’m a stripper?” I questioned loudly, earning multiple glares from the pedestrians on the street. He stepped closer to me, shushing me loudly before pulling me by the arm to the corner of the street.

“No! No… I didn’t mean that. I meant,” he stopped, sighing loudly. “Okay, yeah, I meant that. But I can fix this if you just let me.”

“You’re insane,” I pushed away from him, turning around. He grabbed my arm, keeping me in place, staying close to my body.

“Cloud, just-” He put his weight into my struggling grasp, succeeding in making me fall backwards slightly, before regaining my composure and pulling my arm out of his hold. I looked at him expectantly, waiting for whatever it was he felt compelled to say.

“Just…” he paused, shifting from side to side. “Do you trust me?” He asked softly, making a dark scarlet blush dance across my cheeks.

“I barely know you,” I said, tilting my gaze immediately towards the ground. I heard him sigh, and I felt his hands on my arms once again causing chills to sweep through my body.

“As a member of Soldier First Class, do you trust me Cloud?” I looked up, staring into the complete seriousness of his gaze.

“… With my life,” I answered, the same way we’re expected to answer at the academy. I knew this answer pleased him, because he rubbed my arms gently and smiled brightly towards me.

“Good, then you have to quit.”

“Zack, I can’t just quit without a plan.”

“You said you trusted me, Cloud,” he said easily, relishing in the way that he knew he had trapped me.

“I…” I paused, sighing heavily. “I do… I just-”

“Then quit,” he said, finding my eyes with his own as he let a light smile shroud my judgment. “Please.”


	3. You're Lucky I Love You

* * *

_**Cloud Strife** _

His hands found their way into my blonde locks, tugging my head violently towards his crotch as his member charged in and out of my mouth, hitting hard against the back of my throat. I could hear the low pants of bliss that emitted its way through his mouth, a sure sign that he was in over his head, _no pun intended._

His breathy moans assured me that he was close, and the way his body shook with each thrust showed me that he wouldn’t be able to hold back. There was a small breeze that tickled both of our bodies as it whipped through the dark alleyway behind the Bee Hive, my usual spot for these _quick_ endeavors.

Blowjob boys, as I referred to them as, were the best type of customers. They still had a mentality that what they were doing didn’t completely constitute as cheating on their wives, and because they were usually so deprived, they came quickly. I don’t really know anybody else my age that can make seventy-five dollars in three to five minutes, and sometimes not even that long.

His grip in my hair tightened, if at all possible, and the thrusts became desperate. He held his breath and let out small gasping noises as the thrusts became quick and sharp, allowing him to shoot clear into the back of my throat. I swallowed quickly, suctioning my mouth one last time before pulling away, tilting my head up to look at him. His eyes were clenched shut, and the muscles in his whole body vibrated gently, a sure sign that he was one hundred percent, completely satisfied. I smiled, standing up, reaching out to zip his pants, and fix his shirt and tie, making him look more presentable for him to go home to his family. His eyes opened and he gave me a smug smile, his ‘manly’ persona kicking back into gear as he adjusted his clothing.

“If my wife could suck like you,” he shook his head, placing his hand on my dick, cradling gently.

“You know where to find me,” I mused, paying no mind to the sick feeling I got when he touched me back.

“Yes I do,” he rubbed. “And next time,” his hand shifted to the back of my pants, slipping in quickly as he squeezed my bare ass. “I’m going to fuck your brains out,” he leaned forward, kissing me deeply. I clenched my eyes shut, silently wishing for this moment to pass. I never liked kissing any of my clients, and they knew that. Every once in a while they would take advantage of that, but that usually meant they were more comfortable with me, which led to paying me more. I kissed him back, bucking my ass backwards into his hand as I felt him squeeze tighter, slipping a finger between my cheeks as he massaged my opening roughly. I let out a small moan as he broke away and removed his hand swiftly, backing up.

“Be ready for me soon,” he began to walk away. “And if you play your cards right, I may just make you my regular.” He left the alleyway, leaving me to wipe my mouth quickly with the back of my arm. I zipped my leather jacket, the breeze chilling me more now that I didn’t have the heat of another body close to me. I sighed, recounting the seventy-five dollars he had given me, a small smile on my face. I heard yelling in the distance, my head whipping towards the stage door of the club, realizing that the opening number was starting. I cringed lightly, knowing that the second I walked in I would get a mouthful from Tifa, so I bit the bullet and walked to the other end of the alley.

I entered through the stage door; the faint purple lights dimmed signifying that a performance was underway. Tifa was on the opposite side of the stage, talking into a headset, most likely relaying lighting cues to the light board operator, telling him to cut my lighting cues, and to focus on the other boys. I walked behind the thick back curtain, the narrow crosswalk leading to the opposite side of the stage. The song ended, and the cheering got louder as the lights went into a blackout and I emerged onto the other side of the stage. I spotted Tifa in front of me, tapping her shoulder lightly as I was rewarded with a furious expression.

“Where have you been? Do you realize how difficult it is to change lighting cues on the spot?” She spat; throwing the headset down onto the podium that housed the lighting cue notebook. I sighed, feeling the heated glares of the other dancers on me.

“I need to talk to you,” I spoke softly, pulling her away from the prying eyes. “Alone, please.” I led her back through the stage and out the stage door where I had previously conducted business, before stopping and turning to her.

“You need to get dressed for the next number, you only have a couple minutes-”

“Tifa that’s what I need to talk to you about,” I placed my hand on her arm, sighing gently as I squeezed it reassuringly. “Tifa I love you, and because I know you love me too I hope that you don’t question what I’m about to tell you, but that you simply just let it be what it is,” I said quickly, the look of confusion on her face still prominent. I sighed, allowing my arm to drop. “Tifa, I quit.”

I know it’s the last thing she wants to hear from me, because she immediately rolls her eye and begins to walk away. I lunge forward, grabbing her arm to keep her in place. “No Tifa, this time I’m serious.”

“Cloud we have this talk every month, and you end up not quitting. I need you on that stage, and you need to be on that stage, now go get dressed,” she spoke, tiredly.

“No, Tifa, I’m quitting. I can’t tell you why just right now, but I promise I will tell you soon,” she pulls her arm away, placing both hands on her hips.

“How are you going to pay for training Cloud? I know you hate dancing here, but it’s the most ideal situation with your training,” she said. “And everyone here is really starting to like you, I just know it,” she pleads, but both her and I know that she doesn’t mean it.

“You know that’s a lie. I’m harassed here every day, the others can’t stand me, and I can only get my dick rubbed against so many times before I feel like a piece of meat. I’m sorry Tifa,” I sigh. “But I promise that this is for the best. It’s in my best interest…” I look into her eyes, knowing that I already won. There’s no way she would force me to go on stage, especially if I was this adamant about it. She was my best friend, and she wanted the best for me, and if I told her that this was for the best, she wouldn’t dare fight it. “I promise, I’ll explain soon, okay? You don’t need to worry about how I’ll pay for training,” I smile, hugging her tightly, hearing the applause from the audience as another is surely taking the stage. I feel her arms wrap around me tightly, giving one swift squeeze before pushing me away slightly.

“I better see you at the bar tonight, you haven’t stopped by in ages,” she smiled, letting go of me with a disappointed look on her face.

“I’ll stop by. If not tonight, soon,” I said quickly, beginning to walk down the alley, a lighter feel to my step as a small weight is lifted off of my shoulders.

“Cloud!” She spoke louder, catching my attention as I turned my body back to her, already halfway down the alley. “You’re lucky I love you,” she smiled brightly, easing all of the tension immediately.

“I love you too, Tifa.”

The air had been growing colder and crisper by the minute, making it much more difficult to travel around the city. Back in Nibelheim, fall and winter were never harsh unless you ventured towards the mountains, so dressing in multiple layers simply to walk outside was not entirely _easy_ to adapt to. I walked quickly down the main road in Sector Seven, hugging my arms tightly around my body as the fierce wind slapped against my cheeks, burning them just enough to redden them. Before moving to Midgar, I had never been to a city. Mom and I almost went to Costa del Sol one summer for vacation, but that was quickly squashed when the money we had set aside for vacation had to be put towards hospital bills that were _supposed_ to be covered by our insurance.

I sighed, closing my eyes as the wind threatened to pick up. I turned my body away from the oncoming wind, waiting for it to die down before I trudged any further towards the barracks. Unfortunately for people who live in large cities, you feel the different seasons to their full effects. Because of the large skyscrapers and buildings, the wind creates a vacuum and moves faster than usual. It also doesn’t help that Midgar is surrounded by water on one side, allowing the wind to pick up speed before hitting the city.

I opened my eyes, shivering slightly when I noticed that I was directly across from the diner that Zack had taken me to. Looking through the windows I could see the familiar face of the braided brunette who was currently waiting on tables, and running back and forth carrying what I could only assume was warm food. My stomach growled, adding a small amount of comic effect as I quickly made my way across the street, and into the warmth of the restaurant. The bell above the door chimed, and the waitress’s and customers heads turned towards the door at once.

“Cloud?” I heard Aerith’s honey-like voice call out to me as she wiped her hands on her apron, and jogged up to the hostess podium. I sent her a smile and waved my hand gently, feeling slightly embarrassed about the horrible mood I was in when I had first met her.

“Come sit over here,” she smiled, placing a menu down on the table, ripping her apron off quickly. “Marianne, I’m taking my break.”

“You don’t have to do that…”

“Nonsense,” she smiled, sitting down in the booth quickly. “Besides, it’s a perfect time for a break. It’s totally dead in here.”

I gazed around the restaurant slowly, noticing only two other tables that were occupied. I took my jacket and gloves off, setting them down on the opposite side of the booth before sitting down.

Another waitress who I could only assume was Marianne approached our table with two tall glasses of ice water. I immediately shivered at the thought of it, and Aerith seemed to read my mind.

“Can you get us two cups of coffee?” She smiled. “And how about a grilled cheese with bacon for Cloud?”

“Grilled cheese with bacon?” I questioned, cocking my head slightly to the side.

“That’s what you _would have eaten_ , if you didn’t storm out so soon,” she finished with a sly smile, earning a light laugh from myself.

“Zack’s ‘usual’ is a grilled cheese with bacon?”

“Don’t knock it till you try it. It’s the best three foods put together, trust me,” she silently thanked Marianne for the coffee, emptying two packs of sugar into the cup along with a large amount of cream.

“But speaking of Zack,” she started after taking a sip of coffee. “He’s pretty great, huh?” She placed the mug down, crossing her arms to rest on the table. “We’ve been friends for a while. I guess I could say he’s my best friend.”

“I don’t really know him that well…” I lied, taking a large gulp of my coffee. I think Aerith noticed that I lied by the way I spoke, a small curious smile on her face. “I mean, I know him because he’s Zack Fair, but-”

“Well you should get to know him. I think he’d surprise you,” she spoke softly, wiping the bangs out of her face, tucking them behind her ear.

“You sound like a spokesperson, and it sounds like you know something that I don’t know,” I joked, realizing I was right when her expression fell softly, a guilty smile on her face. I took a small sip of coffee, feeling the warmth that it spread through my body.

“I just think you two would get along really well,” she said, clearly not even believing herself. “Trust him, he’s a great guy.”

“I’ll take your word for it, though it’s not like I see him that often. I think last time was a sort of fluke,” I reasoned, thanking the waitress as she placed down a small, crisp sandwich.

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that, you mean more to him than you know,” she spoke easily.

“What do you mean?”

“Aerith, we have a reservation for fifteen that’s going to arrive in the next minute, I really need you to cut your break short,” Marianne spoke apologetically.

“That’s not a problem, I’ll be right there,” she smiled, standing up quickly, beginning to tie on her apron.

 “Are you just going to ignore the question I asked?”

“What question?” She smiled innocently, picking up her coffee cup. “Enjoy your meal and coffee, it’s on the house. I really hope to see you soon Cloud,” she finished with one final smile before retreating to the hostess podium, the large group entering all at once.

I finished eating quickly, savoring what surprised me as being incredibly delicious, before standing up and putting myself back together. I caught Aerith’s gaze quickly, waving with a smile, before walking out the door. I zipped my jacket up as far as it allowed, and made my way back to the barracks for the rest of the night.

* * *

 “Cloud, they’ve been asking for you over the loudspeaker for an hour now,” Kunsel spoke quickly, almost as if he was waiting by the entrance of the barracks for some time now.  

“What could they possibly…” I asked, sudden realization taking over my train of thought. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped.

_Infantry member: Cloud Strife please report to the help desk outside the President’s office. Infantry member: Cloud Strife please report to the help desk outside the President’s office._

I walked quickly, not bothering to listen to whatever Kunsel had said as I walked away. My hearing failed me, a sharp piercing sound the only thing ringing in my ears. I moved at a super human speed, finding the elevator that led to the President’s Suite as I jammed the ‘up’ button, waiting for the elevator to arrive. I knew exactly what this was about. I suddenly felt hotter. I ripped my jacket and winter accessories off, feeling sweat bead at my forehead as the elevator doors opened. They shut behind me, succeeding in making me feel suffocated as I focused slowly on my breathing. I managed to calm myself down _somewhat_ by the time the elevator doors re-opened, the help desk in sight. I walked up quickly, swallowing roughly as I opened my mouth.

“I-I’m Cloud Strife,” I managed, proud of myself for getting even that out.

“You have a meeting with the President, hold on just a moment,” the secretary responded softly, before standing up and entering the President’s office. She returned moments later, holding the door open just enough for me to slip in.

“Have a seat, Mr. Strife,” Lazard spoke softly, turning away quickly from the large computer on the corner of his desk. He removed his glasses, only to rub at his temples with a small sigh. 

“I called you here today to discuss your future at Shinra,” he spoke softly, slipping his glasses back on. My mind immediately went blank. Zack was right, President Lazard had found out and he’s removing me from training. I was going to have to move back to Nibelheim and try to make a living there with my mom and I, and hope for the best. My breathing quickened, and my palms immediately became sweaty. My mind fogged with too many different thoughts that I had to close my eyes and focus on breathing.

“Cloud, did you hear me?” He questioned, a slight look of impatience on his face.

“N-No, sir, I-I’m sorry,” I managed to mutter out, trying my best to center my breath and stop the irregularity of it.

“I said,” he started, pulling a folder out of the bottom of his desk. “That Zack mentioned something about how you couldn’t afford to stay here, and that you may have to quit?”

I paused, my eyes burrowing into Lazard’s with a confused gaze.

 _That’s…_ _That’s what this is about?_

“I’m sure that Zack has already informed you, since you two seem to be so close,” Lazard spoke, a pointed feeling to his words. “That we’ve had our eyes on you for some time. You’re one of our most promising infantrymen, and if you stay, there are beautiful things you could accomplish here. We can’t afford to lose someone like you.”

He opened the file, picking up a pen to make marks all over the top page. He crossed out a large section and turned the file back to me. “I need your signature here stating that while on scholarship you’ll focus solely on your studies, and training. Outside jobs will not be permitted,” he said easily.

“S-Scholarship?” I asked, eyes widening in shock. “You’re… You’re giving me a scholarship?”

“We’re putting you on a full ride track,” he spoke. “If you keep your grades up, and continue excelling in training like you have been, you can consider yourself here at no cost to you, _or_ your mother.”

I picked up the pen, my hand shaking as I scribbled my name on the line he had marked an ‘x’ next to. I could feel the hot tears welling up in the corners of my eyes as I placed the pen back down on the table. “T-Thank you,” I managed.

“Like I said, we have high hopes for you. With high hopes, comes even greater expectations, do I make myself clear?” He said, standing up placing his arm outwards. I stood quickly, shaking his hand while trying to stop my own hand from shaking, a small smile on my face.

“A-Absolutely, sir. I won’t let you down,” I dropped his hand, beginning to make my way out of the office.

“Oh, and Cloud?” He spoke, undoing his suit jacket to sit back down in his chair. “I don’t want to hear another word about the Bee Hive.”

 

 


	4. Let Me Know You

 

* * *

_**Cloud Strife** _

"You told them?" I screamed, slamming the door of the empty training hall behind me, cutting off both the sound, and Zack, from the outside world. I turned around, facing him, a strong scarlet blush plastered across my face, embarrassment evident on my features.

I definitely wasn't pleased that Zack had told Lazard about my choice of work, but I was even more upset that he told me he wouldn't mention it. I was trusting him to deal with this in a way where I wouldn't have to worry about what others thought of me, especially the president of a company that I was trying to impress. And it's the way that Lazard had ended the meeting, almost not even wanting to say the words, like he was embarrassed for me. That's what hurt the most. 

Zack sighed, rubbing his gloved hands through his sweaty raven colored hair.  We had just finished one of the most brutal training sessions yet, and the bubbling anger that accumulated in the pit of my stomach upon seeing our instructor only made the two hour period much worse. 

"I would have liked a simple thank you a little more, but I'll take this reaction too," he attempted a joke, smiling as he lifted his shirt to wipe the sweat away from his face. I tried my hardest not to stare at the perfect set of muscles that appeared. I tried even harder to not let the blush on my face deepen in shade. 

"You want me to thank you?" I asked surprised that I was even able to speak a fluent sentence as I watched his shirt fall back down, covering up the skin that was recently exposed. "For making me look like an asshole? A slut? You told the fucking president, Zack. You said to trust you, and that you would handle this."

"And I did handle this," he interrupted, sighing heavily at the shocked expression on my face. 

"By doing exactly what I asked you not to. I didn't want you to mention any of this and you knew that. You wanted me to trust you, and I did. And this is what I get for it," I scoffed, walking to the corner of the room to retrieve my bag.

"Did I not get you a full ride scholarship? Did I not handle the situation like I said I would?" Zack raised his voice. "I understand that you didn't want me to say anything, but I'm not going to disobey the president when he asked what my motive was. It's not like I told anybody else," he spoke, a small tinge of hurt in his words.

"The goal was to get you on scholarship, so that you could stop that job," he spoke. "And I succeeded in doing that, so I won't apologize for what I did. Especially if it means you don't have to be in that awful situation anymore."

"I was fine in that situation!" I yelled, clearly lying. I threw my bag over my shoulder, beginning my walk towards the doors out of the training hall when I felt a strong arm grab me and keep me in place. 

"Well I wasn't fine with you in that situation," Zack said strongly. I ignored the blush that danced across my face at both his words and the warmth of his hand. I shrugged my arm out of his grasp, making no move to leave. "Cloud," he paused, sighing. I looked away, avoiding all eye contact with him. 

"Cloud, I didn't have to do much convincing. The second I told Lazard he wanted to help you too, I didn't even ask for full ride, I just asked for some financial help," he said. I looked up, noticing that in his eyes he was telling the complete truth. 

"I told you that they thought you were one of the best infantry we have, and that they wanted to keep you at all costs. I wasn't lying about that." 

I knew that they had thought I was doing a good job, but I honestly thought he was just trying to convince me to quit when he had told me that they liked me that much. I sighed, rubbing my hands through my hair. 

"Look, I'm glad that you got me this-"

"I didn't get you anything. Your hard work got it for you, I just helped it along. I did exactly what I told you I would," he interrupted, a small, genuine smile on his face. 

"I'm trying to thank you, can you not?" I asked, earning a small laugh from the other. His laugh caused my stomach to bubble and the familiar blush to reappear on my face. "Thank you," I spoke slowly. "Now I know we solved that problem, but I'm still going to need to get a part time job, I need some money for necessities," I spoke, not bothering to allude to the fact that I already had a part time job. I needed him to be okay with me having a job, and I didn't know why I needed his satisfaction. Of course, he could never know what that job was, but if he noticed that I was gone every once in a while, I couldn't have him wondering. “And Lazard told me I couldn’t but I need you to _promise_ me that you won’t say a word.”

"You don't need to do that," he spoke easily, ignoring the annoyed look on my face. 

"Zack, I have other things to pay for," I spoke, not wanting to tell him about sending money to my mom. I don't know why I didn't tell him, but I just thought that was something better left unsaid. I ignored the confident smile on his face until it ate away at me enough to question it. "What are you smiling about? This isn't a happy matter."

"Let me take care of that," his smile widened as he jogged over to corner to retrieve his bag. He made his way back to me before placing a firm hand on my upper arm, squeezing lightly. 

"How can you take care of that?" I inadvertently leaned into his touch, chastising myself for playing so easily into his actions. 

"Let me take you out," he smiled, leaving his hand to rest on my arm. 

"I-I'm sorry, what?" I stuttered, backing up quickly. 

"Well if you're not going to thank me-"

"I did thank you."

"It was half-assed and forced and you know it," he replied smoothly. "If you're not going to thank me, it's the least you could do."

"Zack-"

"One date, and if it's not your thing, we never have to do it again," he smiled, knowing that he had already won. 

"I..." I paused, tilting my head towards the ground to avoid looking into his eyes. The word ‘date’ caused the entirety of my body to warm up and I immediately remembered Aerith’s words.

_I wouldn’t be so sure of that, you mean more to him than you know._

"F-Fine," I finished, adjusting the bag from falling off my shoulder. 

"Great, I'll pick you up at eight. There's this new restaurant that I want to try so dress nice," he smiled, making his way over to the entrance of the training hall. 

"O-okay," I managed, watching him go. 

"Oh and Cloud?" He turned, a small smile on his face. "I can't wait."

 

* * *

"Zack there's no way I can afford this," I spoke stopping in front of the pagoda shaped building. It was a building that I had only passed once or twice in the two months that it had been open, basically because it was teeming with tourists, and rich civilians, and I hated both of those things.  I loosened the tie that was cutting the circulation on my neck, and wiped my hands on my crisp white button up. I had immediately felt embarrassed when Zack had picked me up because his version of 'dress nice' was a navy blue sweater paired with a thin pair of black slacks. The only 'nice' clothing I had was my suit that my mom had drained the bank account for. Thank god I had the last minute thought of leaving the jacket behind. Even without the jacket I still felt over dressed. 

"That's funny that you think you're paying. The whole point of this was for me to pay. It's a date, Cloud. I asked you. I pay," he replied easily, walking towards the entrance of the building. There was a small line outside, probably all hoping that a reservation opens up. 

"How long ago did you make this reservation?" I asked, allowing a warm feeling to pulse through my body. 

"Just yesterday,” he smiled. “Reno has connections.”

"But you asked me this morning..." I paused, studying the guilty expression on his face before it turned in to a laugh. "You were sure confident I'd say yes."

"You're right I was," he smiled. "And you did say yes." I blushed easily, walking straight into his trap. His laugh continued as we walked into the entrance and up to the host station. He placed a firm hand on my lower back, guiding me towards the podium. I tried my best to ignore the fire it lit in the spot where he touched me. 

"8:30 for Zack Fair," he smiled his brilliant white teeth at the hostess, leaving his hand on my lower back. I shifted uncomfortably, only to feel his hand press closer to my skin as we followed the hostess up the stairs and to the right. The whole restaurant was beautiful and it was clear that they did their research. They based it off of The Pagoda of the Five Mighty Gods in Wutai. The chef who runs the restaurant used to live there, and decided to bring familial recipes to a new city. It was an immediate tourist trap. 

We sat at a small table that was low to the ground. The seats were technically on the floor, and below the table was a dugout passage for your legs and feet. They instructed us to take our shoes off before sitting down, and they immediately brought a hot pot of tea over to place at our table. They drew a door shut, closing us off from the rest of the restaurant, causing my face to immediately light up red. I fiddled with my fingers underneath the table not making eye contact as Zack poured both of us a cup of tea. The menus were already on the table, so I began looking through, before I noticed the prices. 

"T-this is way-"

"Don't worry about that. I want you to get whatever you want," he said easily, a beautiful smile on his face. "I wouldn't have invited you here if I didn't want to pay for it. Plus, I'm killing two birds with one stone."

"What?" I asked, taking a small sip of the hot tea. 

"I wanted to try this place out, and I wanted a date with you."  I swallowed hard, choking slightly on the slightly sweetened drink in front of me. The waitress entered the small room quickly, and Zack took it upon himself to start ordering. 

"I'll have a glass of the Hideyoshi Flying Pegasus Koshu,” Zack replied effortlessly. “Cloud, what do you want to drink?”

"I'm fine with tea..." I replied, watching the sigh escape Zack's lips, before a smile took over. 

"He’ll have the same as me. In fact, let’s just get a bottle of it,” Zack smiled, handing the drink menu back to the waitress. My face was a deep red, and it was becoming hard to think straight. I was fine with Zack paying for dinner, but two hundred dollars for a bottle of sake was unbelievable. I knew he had money, and I knew he wasn’t spending it to impress me, and that made it worse. I could tell he just wanted to make sure I had a good time.

“Now for food, what will it be for you Cloud?” He smiled.

"U-Um, I’m not that hungry, so, you pick,” I managed, hoping that since he splurged on the alcohol that he would sense my discomfort and relax with the entrees. I was wrong. After ordering about six things, he handed the menus to the waitress, who was now sporting a confused expression herself. She left quickly, but not before sliding the door shut behind her.

“Zack that’s way too much food, and that alcohol was way too expensive…” I fought, noticing the small smile on Zack’s face. “I’m being serious.”

“Cloud please stop worrying. I ordered that much food so that you could take it home and have something to eat for the next few days. And I’ve always wanted to try that specific Koshu,” he paused. “Listen, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable, I just really want you to have a good time…”

I sighed, watching as the door slid open once more, the waitress placing two glass cups on the table. She opened the bottle and poured the liquid half way in each glass, before closing the bottle and placing it in ice. She left once more, leaving us to be alone.

Zack picked up his glass and pushed it towards me, clearly wanting us to clink our glasses together. I laughed lightly, not bothering to say that this _clearly_ wasn’t the type of restaurant for that, but I did it anyway. I took a sip, and was surprised by how smooth the taste was. It stuck with you even after you swallowed, but it didn’t bite back like most sake’s I’ve tried. Of course, I’ve never spent more than fifteen dollars on a bottle.

“That’s really good,” I replied, laughing lightly at the big smile that appeared on Zack’s face.

“I’m glad you like it,” he replied honestly. He set his glass down and laid his arms on the table, linking his hands together. I placed my glass down and put my hands on my lap, allowing my fingers to find each other. There was a small silence that filled the room, but Zack seemed adamant about that not happening.

“Tell me about Nibelheim,” he said, taking another small sip from his drink. He licked his lips quickly, tasting the liquid that remained. I darted my eyes away immediately, silently hoping that he didn’t notice I was staring.

“What do you want to know about it?” I smiled to myself, proud of the fact that I didn’t stutter.

“Everything,” he said, leaning forward. “Your childhood, what there is to do there, your house, your friends, just,” he paused, his smile growing. “Everything.”

I looked back up and found his eyes, and smiled lightly. It was nice to know that somebody genuinely cared about wanting to know more about you, and a warm feeling spread through my body.

I told him everything there was to know about Nibelheim. I told him how odd the climate was being that it was kind of near the water, and near a mountain range. I talked about Tifa, and my mom. I tried my hardest to stay clear about any ‘friends’ I would have, and I think he caught on that I really didn’t have many friends, and if he did, he didn’t press on the subject. He asked me more about my family, and I felt awkward telling him that it was just my mother and I, my entire life. Again, he didn’t press.

“It’d be nice to visit someday,” he said, finishing off his glass before pouring himself another. I had already felt a light buzz due to not eating much today, so I didn’t push myself.

“It’s nothing special,” I replied easily, taking a small sip of my tea now that it had cooled down considerably. Somewhere between talking about my lack of friends, and my family, the waitress brought out all of our entrees, and everything looked incredible. We both took a little of each, but my favorite was definitely the tonkatsu and the soba noodle.

“It sounds special,” he smiled. “And you’re from there, that’s reason enough to want to visit,” he said, causing a deep scarlet blush to appear on my face. His smile widened, knowing that he succeeded in making me blush. I wiped my napkin on my mouth before swallowing the food that was in my mouth.

“So how do you know Aerith?” I finally said, immediately feeling the need to change the subject. I didn’t know what this _date_ was. Sure, Zack was flirting pretty openly with me, but that was also just his personality. It also didn’t help the fact that it was baffling to me that not only was Zack Fair gay, but out of all of the people that wanted him, he wanted _me._

“Aerith and I go a little while back. We met on a mission about four years ago,” he smiled, wiping his mouth quickly. “I can honestly say that growing up, I didn’t really have any friends,” he paused, sending a small reassuring smile towards me. “When I met Aerith, everything just clicked, and we’ve been best friends ever since.”

“She’s a really nice girl,” I managed. “She sure seems to think highly of you. I went by the diner a couple of days ago and we talked. All of it seemed like one giant infomercial about how great you are, but that’s besides the point,” I jabbed, smiling at the small laugh that Zack let out. He began putting food into to-go boxes that the Waitress had brought out with the food, knowing that there was no way we would finish it all. She entered the room and placed the check on the table. Zack snatched it up quickly and placed a credit card in the booklet, handing it back to the waitress.

“Oh yeah?” He smiled. “What did she say about me?” He cooed, draining the last of the sake. It surprised me how much he could hold his alcohol. I only had about two glasses, but he had finished the bottle off easily.

“I’m not telling you on the grounds that it would clearly go to your head, and you don’t need a bigger head than you already have,” I retorted. I was grateful for the light buzz that the drink had given me, because I didn’t know if I would have been able to flirt back with Zack without it.

“That’s alright, you don’t have to tell me. Cause I won’t tell you what she told me about you,” he played, earning a shocked expression from me. The waitress entered the room quickly and placed the booklet back on the table. Zack opened it and signed quickly, pocketing his credit card.

“What did she say about me?”

“Good things,” he paused. “Maybe.” He stood, stretching quickly before putting his shoes on. He put his hand out for me to grab onto so that it was easier for me to stand, and I happily took it, ignoring the light squeeze that he gave me. He kept his grasp on my hand as I slipped my shoes back on, and didn’t bother to let go when our hands dropped by our sides.

“Zack…”

“Come on, I want to show you something,” he smiled, leaning into me, gently pressing his body towards mine.

 

* * *

 

“This is my favorite place,” Zack smiled, finally letting go of my hand. Luckily it was late enough at night that not many people were out, and the ones who were didn’t seem to care, or notice that two men were holding hands. It was about a fifteen-minute walk, and when we entered the slums I only got _slightly_ nervous. I allowed my eyes to dart around the abandoned church, a large hole in the ceiling allowing the moon’s light to illuminate the flowerbed that was in the middle of the room.

“This is where Aerith and I met,” he spoke. I turned my head and scrunched my eyebrows together, confused as to how he could have met somebody here. The church looked like it’s been abandoned for decades.

“I made that hole,” he laughed, pointing above us. “I was on a mission, and fell through. Fell all the way down, thinking the entire time that that was it, there was no way I was getting out of this one,” he smiled.

“But evil doesn’t die so easily,” I smiled, my confidence surprising me.

“Ouch,” he smiled, moving towards me, his body heat effectively reaching me.  
“But Aerith came, saw that I had fallen, and ruined her flowerbed, and patched me up. Of course she gave me a stern talking to about the proper care of flowers,” he smiled.

“That’s quite the story,” I smiled, reluctantly moving away from the other to walk towards the center of the church. The moonlight allowed for a small amount of sight, and if I was alone I would definitely be scared. I knelt down to have a closer look at the flowers that were in perfect bloom despite the cold season creeping up on us. She must still be taking care of them obediently.

“We’ve been friends ever since,” he smiled, his voice closer signifying that he had followed me.

“Did you and Aerith…” I asked, mentally smacking myself. “Um… You know…” I don’t know why I asked, but a nagging feeling made my words turn into vomit, and before I knew it they were already out.

“Really, Cloud?” Zack deadpanned, a small smile gracing his expression.

“W-What?” I retorted. “I just figured by the way you two are together…”

“Cloud,” Zack leaned down to grab my hand and pull me up towards him. Our faces were inches away and he spoke softly, his warm breath tickling my lips and my nose. “If you can’t tell by now-”

“Zack?” The door closed softly as our heads spun towards the entrance. I immediately backed up and rubbed the back of my head defensively. “And Cloud?” Aerith asked, a small smile evident in her voice.

“I had a feeling you were going to either be here already, or show up,” Zack smiled, walking towards his friend, giving her a small hug. There was a small wooden basket in her hands, various gardening tools placed delicately inside of it.

“My flowers spoke to me, they said there was a predator in their midst,” she retorted smoothly, laughing at the expression the raven-haired man supplied. She set her basket down on one of the pews and turned to me.

“It’s good to see you again Cloud,” she smiled. “Do you like my flowers?”

“They’re beautiful,” I replied honestly. “I’m surprised that you can keep them alive with such cold temperatures.”

“This is warm compared to what they’re used to. In the fall I plant flowers that aren’t indigenous to Midgar, and right before the spring I sell them,” she smiled.

“As thrilling as this conversation is,” Zack interrupted, causing the both of us to let out a small laugh. “You kind of killed the mood, kid,” Zack said, shaking his head at Aerith. I blushed deeply, hitting him on the arm lightly.

“Z-Zack!”

“Oh I see,” Aerith smiled mischievously. “I did, didn’t I?” She walked forward, a small bounce in her step. “Beautiful flowers, an abandoned church, a full moon illuminating just enough to see the blush on your fair maiden,” she spoke, succeeding in making my entire body burst into flames.

"Yes actually,” Zack smiled. “You have a beautiful way with words.”

“But what does your fair maiden think of all of this?”

I swallowed, shivering slightly. “I-I think you’ve both succeeded in embarrassing me enough for one night, and it’s getting late so we should-”

“Oh don’t let me interrupt all of your _fun_ ,” Aerith spoke sweetly. If I weren’t so embarrassed, I’d probably laugh at this completely different side of her. No doubt a side that came about _after_ Zack’s influence on her.

“N-No really, we should get going,” I laughed forcefully.

“Though I am surprised at you Zack,” she smiled, eyes squinting slightly. “You’ve _never_ brought anybody here to my knowledge. What makes Cloud different?”

“Now I’m going to agree with blondie over here, time to go,” Zack spoke, shaking his head at his brunette best friend. The blush on my face didn’t deter me from laughing.

“Yeah, what makes me different?” I smiled, the small amount of alcohol I had still succeeding in aiding my confidence. I heard Aerith laugh, as Zack grabbed my hand and began pulling me to the front door of the church.

“I should have known the full moon would bring out the crazies,” Zack threw over his shoulder to a smiling Aerith, before pulling me out of the church, and back into the fall air.

* * *

 

"Thank you," I said softly, finding the courage to place my hand on his arm, squeezing it lightly. I smiled, and I could tell how genuinely happy he was that both the night went so well, and that I had a good time. If you would have told me a month ago that Zack Fair had feelings for me I would have laughed in your face. He could have anyone he wanted, and he was standing in front of me.

A small blush appeared on my face, and I felt his thumb brush my cheek gently, causing it to deepen in color. He must have noticed, because he let out a light laugh before putting his arm back down.

"For?" He pressed, earning a dead eyed expression from me, succeeding in making him laugh louder.

"I'll play your game," I announced, his smile widening considerably. "Thank you for everything," I paused. "The dinner, showing me your favorite spot, getting me out of the club..."

He visibly winced, and I smiled softly. It was obvious that he didn't want me there for selfish reasons, but I didn't want to damage his ego by calling him out on that. I left it as an unspoken secret that both of us knew the other knew. 

"You'll have to show me your favorite spot on our next date," he smiled, shaking off the expression from before. "And yes, there will be a second date." He finished before I could even ask, causing me to laugh. 

I was beginning to admire his confidence based solely on the fact that it was so contagious, it's been making me less nervous to be around him. Of course, I was still shaking every time he put his hands on me, or every time he looked at me for one second too long. 

"I think we can definitely do that," I managed, leaning against the door to the entrance of the barracks. "But you didn't have to walk me home, your apartment is in a completely different direction." 

"Did you really think for a second that I wasn't going to walk you back here?" He asked, deadpanned. I laughed, shaking my head lightly. 

"No, I knew you would," I smiled. "Just, thanks," I said, turning slowly to walk into the building. 

"Cloud," Zack spoke quickly, darting his hand out to catch my arm before I left. 

"Yeah?" My breath caught in my throat. I knew how dates ended, but I wasn't sure if I was completely ready for that just yet. I think he could sense it. 

"Don't be afraid to ask for help," he smiled, pulling me towards his body, and slowly wrapping his arms around me. He squeezed tightly, and a warm feeling spread through my entire body. I decided that a hug wasn't too soon, so I wrapped my arms around his neck and squeezed gently, no plan of letting go. 

"I won't be,"

"Seriously, just ask,” he squeezed, his breath hot on my ear. “It's done," 

 


	5. Seasonal Thirst Cycle

* * *

  _ **Cloud Strife  
**_

_Seriously, just ask. It’s done._

His words rang through my entire being every day for the past week, and Zack definitely _tried_ to keep up with his end of the bargain. This week has been incredibly busy for him, but every chance he had to talk to me, he took, even if it was a simple hello. The air between us was clearly different now, and I’ve caught him staring at me multiple times this week which obviously made my insides turn to jell-o. I’m sure nobody else noticed, and that made it even better. The week for me unfortunately, has been rather slow. The mundane tasks of classes and training left nothing to the imagination and provided a small heartbeat to my every day life. I use to be thankful for ‘normal' days, but recently I’ve been craving something a lot more. Well, _someone_ a lot more.

“Cloud, are you listening?” Aerith smiled, stirring her tea absentmindedly with one hand propping her head up. She had a devilish smile on her face that spoke volumes. This was the second time I had been caught not paying attention in the middle of our breakfast. I decided since my week has been so mundane, that I would shake things up and come out to the diner for breakfast, and I wasn’t disappointed. There was nobody else here at the moment, and I was glad that Aerith was able to sit with me for a little. Well, glad until the topic of Zack came up, because all productivity and attention flew out the window as my mind wandered.

“Of course I’m listening,” I responded after taking a sip of my coffee, a small smile on my face. I knew she could see right through my lie as a small giggle escaped her mouth, her eyes rolling gently.

“If you say so,” she placed her arm down on the table and looked outside. “It’s a beautiful morning. Shame that I’m stuck here and you’ll be stuck in a building all day,” she finished.

“Well it’s technically my day off, I’m just choosing to get some extra practice in, but I guess so,” I replied easily, stabbing a fork into my now cold omelette. “I’ve been thinking of visiting Tifa at the bar she owns with her friend Barrett. I haven’t been in forever, and she’s really been bugging me about visiting. It’s a really nice place, you should come by sometime. I’m sure she’d love to meet you.”

“What’s it called?” Aerith asked, genuine interest in her tone.

“Seventh Heaven, it’s in sector seven. It isn’t much, but it’s practically home to her. She built that thing from the ground up, and she’s really proud of it.”

“I’d love to take you up on your offer sometime,” Aerith smiled politely, and I could tell that she was genuinely interested in seeing the place. “But what _else_ were you thinking about?” She asked with a pointed tone.

“Pretty much that I’m happy that the end of the week is nearing. It wasn’t even a hard one, it’s just been mentally taxing.”

And that’s true. All I’ve wanted to do this whole week is talk to Zack, alone. Our date left such a sweet taste in my mouth, that there was no point in denying how much I wanted to be around him. I was completely head over heels for him, and I was sure that nothing would be able to change that. It was incredibly hard watching him coach us in basic training, and it was even harder when he tried to treat me like any other infantry. I knew he didn’t do it to be hurtful, but it still succeeded in making me feel worthless. What really scared me was how aroused I seemed to get whenever he was teaching us. Despite my current _job_ I wasn’t a truly sexual being. I had always looked at it negatively ever since losing my virginity to a client and not somebody I was dating. I’ve never been able to equate sex to love, or even lust. It’s always been a necessity.

“Cloud!” Aerith said, which was probably the third or fourth time based off of how loud she had said it. “I suppose you were listening that time too?”

I sighed, leaning back in the seat with a guilty smile plastered onto my face. “No, I wasn’t, I’m sorry Aerith,” I apologized honestly, earning a small laugh from the brunette in front of me.

“I said,” she stressed the last word. “How have things been with you and Zack?”

“I’ve already told you everything I know,” I laughed, taking another sip of coffee.

“No, you told me that he’s been busy.”

“Well that’s true, I don’t know what else to tell you,” I sighed. “We’ve barely talked, and when we do it’s a small greeting, or an apology about how he doesn’t have time this week. I’m not upset by it, I’m not even annoyed by it. He doesn’t owe me any of his time.” I take back what I said, I _was_ annoyed. Yes he’s made sure he at least said hello to me, and stolen glances are always a beautiful thing, but after the date we had, you just can’t be ‘ _busy_.’ I felt needy and worthless craving him this much, and I felt even worse that I was annoyed about it. The entire week I’ve been telling myself that everything was fine, when really my insides were throbbing and I couldn’t form coherent thoughts.

“You don’t really believe that,” she smiled, an all-knowing look delicately placed on her face. “If it helps, he really misses you.”

“And how do you know that?”

“He told me,” she smiled.

“So he’s had time to tell you that he misses me but he doesn’t have time to tell me?” I asked, my inner thoughts getting the best of me. I wasn’t annoyed with Aerith, and to be honest I wasn’t _entirely_ annoyed with Zack, but more with myself. It wasn’t as if we were dating, and it wasn’t as if he owed me anything. It just, again, kind of hurt that he didn’t say it to me personally. Then the next thing I know my insides are throbbing again, I imagine him shirtless, and-

“Very briefly, honestly. I’m sure you’ve talked to him more this week than I have. He called in a pick up order for breakfast yesterday and that’s the most I’ve talked to him,” she smiled. “And I know you’re not mad at me. You’re mad that you’re mad,” she said easily.

“H-How did you know that?” I asked, honestly perplexed.

“You’re very easy to read Cloud,” she smiled. “And if I may be frank, that’s not a valid thought,” she paused. “You clearly mean something to him, and he clearly means something to you. Now there’s no label attached to you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be upset. You’re in each others lives now, you have every right to be upset.”

“So you’re telling me I should be mad at him?” I asked, deadpanned.

“Not at all,” she laughed lightly. “But I am saying that the next time you see him for more than a minute, it wouldn’t be horrible to voice these concerns. I can promise you that he is completely head over heels for you,” she said, giggling at the deep blush that danced across my face. “He’ll care about your feelings, and he’ll do everything in his power to fix them. If you think that this week isn’t hard for him too, then you’re wrong. It’s just as hard for him to be away from you, maybe harder,” she smiled.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked, noticing her look down at her watch.

“Look at the time,” she smiled. “I have to get back, and you,” she stood, pulling me up. “Have to leave before Marianne makes you pay,” she smiled, laughing lightly.

I glanced at my phone and sighed, she was right, her break was over. I took one last sip of my coffee, and then threw my jacket and scarf on. Saying goodbye, I hurried out the door and into the crisp morning air. That’s one thing this week that’s changed. The weather has gotten drastically colder, which has successfully made me sadder. It was just something with the fall and winter months that made me needier than usual. Tifa calls it my ‘thirst cycle’ but I don’t think it’s that drastic yet.

I began to jog, as an almost pre-warmup to the basic training I was about to subject myself to. My muscles and bones felt stiff int the cold air despite the three cups of hot coffee I drank at the diner. The walk to the Shinra building wasn’t far, which made breakfast at the diner a perfect morning. The food was better than anything I could make myself, and the best part was that it was free. Aerith refused to let me pay for anything, so I decided I would try and do something nice for her.

The Shinra building loomed in the distance, the streets packed with businessmen and civilians alike, walking to and from their morning destinations. It made the streets incredibly packed, which was another nice thing about being away from Sector 0, even for a little.

I ran into the front building, flashing my ID badge in front of the wireless scanner. The door immediately opened emptying me into the bustling first floor of the Shinra building. I made my way to the elevator and took it down five flights, towards the barracks. After dropping off my jacket and scarf, and grabbing my change of clothes, I ran back to the elevator, taking it up to the twelfth floor.

Some of the other guys mentioned that they were also going to train on their day off, so I figured it was a good time to get some group training in. Not only did I rarely hang out with them, but I rarely did any group training. I was happy when they invited me.

The locker rooms were at the end of the hall, and I could hear some loud yelling and laughing from their direction. I picked up my step, and walked into the locker room, straight towards my assigned locker. I felt the heated glances of the other boys and issued a small ‘hey,’ before opening up my locker.

“There’s our star _performer_!” Lux shouted, slamming my locker door shut. I jumped, cringing at the way he shouted ‘performer.’ I heard laughs from the other two men in the room, and immediately felt uncomfortable. “We were wondering when the real show was going to arrive!”

“What are you…?” I questioned, my voice soft.

“Oh don’t play innocent now, Cloud!” Dante laughed as Lux pushed me up against my locker. My stomach immediately dropped and my body felt hot all over. This was… _different_ from the usual way they all picked on people. This was… _off_.

"Oh come on Cloud,” Lux spoke softly. “We just wanted you to show us some moves,” he finished. I heard whistles from Dante and Robbins, as Dante began to peel his shirt off while rolling his hips. My eyes widened, and I immediately knew what was happening.

“H-How did…” My voice betrayed me as I swallowed hard.

“How did we find out?” Lux questioned, pressing slightly harder into the locker. “Your buddy told us. What I’m more surprised is that you aren’t denying it,” he laughed. Robbins pulled out a stack of money from his pocket and began throwing bills at me.

“How much will this get me, Mr. Beehive?” Robbins yelled, egged on by his other two friends. He grabbed his bulge and shook it, leaving a sour taste in my mouth. I used the rest of the strength that my body had left and pushed Lux away, into his other two friends and ran fast out of the locker room. I heard laughing in the distance and knew they weren’t following me. I ran around the corner and when I saw that nobody else was around, I fell to the ground and let the sobs wrack through my body. I used my sleeve to wipe at my eyes, but it was futile almost because of the amount of tears falling. I heard a door open at the opposite end of the hall and my head shot up, fervently wiping at the tears. I stood up, noticing that it was Zack at the other end, finishing up his own sort of training. I began walking towards him, but pretty soon my walk turned into a run and I pushed him back into the room that he was previously occupying. It was completely empty other than the two of us, and I slammed the door behind me.

“Cloud, what’s-”

“How could you tell people?!” I screamed, pushing him again, my fists punching his shoulders. I could tell that it didn’t hurt him due to the lack of strength currently in my body, but the sheer look of panic on his face made my insides twist.

“Cloud, what are you talking about?” Zack put his arms on my shoulders and rubbed gentle circles into them. I shook his arms off my body and backed away, a new set of tears threatening to leave my body.

“They know!” I managed to get out. “E-Everyone knows,” I screamed. “Lux, Robbins, and Dante just cornered me in the locker room. You told them!” The tears fell, and I leaned against the wall, letting my legs give out. I fell to the ground, cupping my head in my hands.

“You think I told _anybody_ about the Beehive?” Zack asked, a distinct tone of pain in his voice. “I…” He paused. “Cloud… I would never do that to you…” He spoke, the pain turning into a tone of defeat.

“T-Then how do they know?” I shouted, lifting my head enough to look at the raven-haired man. His face was white, and his eyes were glistening more than normal. He honestly looked like he was telling the truth, but I was too far deep in a panic to listen to reason.

“They knew about the Beehive, t-they threw money at me, a-and-” My body disobeyed me and shook with sobs, both audible and silent. I felt two hands pull me into a warm embrace, and as much as I wanted to fight it, my mind had other plans. I let him hold me as my sobs turned louder and louder.

“It's okay… It’s okay, Cloud,” Zack whispered, rubbing a reassuring hand through my hair. “I promise… With everything I am, that I didn't tell a soul… I wouldn’t-” he paused. “I… I _couldn’t_ do that to you.”

“T-Then who?”

The door opened abruptly and both sets of our eyes shot towards it, watching as the red headed Turk waltz into the room.

“What’s this?” He smiled, motioning to our positions on the floor. “With all of the yelling I thought I was going to walk into something _a lot_ more fun,” Reno smiled. “This is just kind of pathetic.”

“This isn’t the time Reno,” Zack spoke sternly, his gaze burrowing into the others heatedly.

“Actually, this is the _perfect_ time,” he smiled. “An answer to your question, _Cloud_ , was that it was me who told them. I just couldn’t resists,” Reno laughed. “After that strange meeting you had with Lazard I felt like reading your file, and boy was that a treasure trove of information. Never have we ever had such a scandal as this. I just _had_ to tell somebody!”

My entire body froze, and I felt Zack’s warm embrace escape as he stood up and walked over to the red-haired Turk. His walk picked up speed, and before I knew it, he drew his fist back, and let it fly, punching Reno right in the side of the head, his body flying to the ground. My eyes widened and I shot up, quickly running over to the others.

“Z-Zack!”

Reno laid on the floor, unresponsive, a sure sign that Zack’s punch immediately knocked him out. Zack was breathing heavily as he shook his hand out, a small amount of blood on his knuckles. The door flew open, revealing two officers who seem to already have known what happened probably due to all of the yelling. I backed away as one of them called a medic for Reno, while the other led Zack towards the exit of the room. He looked back at me, a small smile on his face despite the heated argument just seconds before. I was completely speechless as I exited the opposite side of the room, emptying into the adjacent hallway. I ran towards the elevators, and entered when they arrived. Pressing 'Lobby' my body began to shake, either from the stress, or the rush of cold air as the elevator doors opened into the chilly lobby. I quickly exited the building, and found myself walking back to Sector Seven, and hopefully towards something that could clear my head.


	6. Find Me, Fix Me

* * *

_**Zack Fair** _

  
“I would love if you could explain to me the thought process behind your actions,” Lazard said with an exasperated sigh, clearly annoyed that he had to even address this situation. “Because the way I see it, what you did is grounds for immediate dismissal.”

“I…”

“And you,” Lazard scoffed, turning his gaze to the red headed Turk who was now sporting a beautiful black and blue mark that stretched from his eye to the bottom of his nose. “Reading a member’s _confidential_ file, and telling his peers?” He questioned, succeeding in making my stomach turn and my fists tighten. “I’ve heard of ‘stupid’ but this may be a whole new kind of idiocy,” he finished, sitting back down in his chair that sat at the head of the President’s Office. I didn’t bother glancing at Reno, I was already through with him. The damage was done, and the payback was dealt, I honestly just wished I aimed a little higher. A frontal lobe concussion would have made my day.

“If I had half a brain I would remove you both immediately, from the Turks, and First Class, respectively,” he said with a sigh, taking his glasses off to rub his temples. “But because I cannot afford to lose _two_ of my higher up’s, I’m putting you both on extended leave for the duration of the quarter,” he finished. Reno immediately tensed in his seat and scoffed, clearly upset by the outcome of our actions.

“Do you have something to say Reno?” Lazard questioned. “I’d love to listen, and afterwards change your punishment to something a lot more fitting for the breaking and entering to a multi-billion dollar corporation. Would you like that?” He remained silent. Even Reno knew when to shut his mouth.

“No, I suppose you wouldn’t,” he said easily. “I suggest you take this time to leave your peers, Mr. Fair, and Mr. Strife alone for a while. Do I make myself clear?” Lazard received a small nod from the red-head, a motion that Lazard considered victory. “Get out of my office,” he spat, shaking his head as we both stood up to leave quickly.

“I’m not finished with you, Mr. Fair,” Lazard hummed, and I clenched my eyes and sighed heavily, cursing silently under my breath. I knew I wasn’t going to escape so easily, but it was worth the try. The door clicked behind, leaving the two of us in a tense silence.

“That was quite the punch, if I say so myself,” he managed a small joke, succeeding in making me laugh lightly. “Well sir, I assessed the situation and reacted accordingly. The individual was causing catastrophic problems, so I… _handled_ it as I saw fit.” I smiled, looking up just enough to stare the president in the eye. I knew from the moment we entered the room that Lazard wasn’t pleased with either of us, but if he had to pick a side, I would of won by a landslide.

“So this doesn’t have anything to do with your budding romance with Mr. Strife?” He cocked his head, enjoying this game.

“Well sir, I’d say it’s about fifty, fifty. Fifty percent that, yes, Cloud and I have a _budding romance_ as you prefer to call it, and fifty percent because Reno is a snake. That was uncalled for, and he put the safety of a Shinra member in jeopardy,” I answered truthfully. I could tell Lazard was expecting my happy go lucky attitude, but now wasn’t the time for that. “What would have happened if Cloud’s friends had acted poorly and aggressively? We could have a more serious problem on our hands. With all due respect sir, be thankful that it didn’t escalate further than my punch.”

“I’m in agreement with you Zack, really, I am,” Lazard sighed, dropping the ‘game’ charade. “But you have to agree with me that any violence between members is grounds for immediate dismissal. This isn’t like you Zack,” Lazard said. “If this is Mr. Strife’s influence on you then-”

“Then what?” I spoke, venom laced into my voice. “I won't let you sit here and manipulate a false answer out of me. Cloud has nothing to do with this other than being the victim in a case that I _thought_ we just handled,” I spoke quickly, staring straight into Lazard’s eyes. “If you have anything else to say to me-”

“I think it would be best if you cut ties with Mr. Strife,” Lazard said pointedly. “I’m not going fire you if you don’t listen to me, but you have to see it yourself Zack, this poor performance isn’t like you.”

“Again, with all due respect sir, you have no right to comment on my public life, and nowhere in my contract, or Cloud’s says anything about dating out of ranks. Perhaps you should update the contract if you’d like to control that aspect of my life,” I spat. Lazard smiled, shaking his head lightly. “None of this would have happened if Reno hadn’t acted like he did. Cloud has nothing to do with this, and the only reason I acted poorly is because of Reno. Discussion closed,” I stood abruptly. “I’ll keep to myself, and see you at the next quarter. As always, if anything is pressing, don’t hesitate to call,” I spoke quickly, grabbing my jacket that was on the back of the chair, and walking out of the heavy double doors. I soon found myself in front of the reception desk on the President’s floor, simply trying to focus on breathing. He was completely right, this wasn’t like me at all. But it wasn’t for the reasons he thought.

I haven’t been this happy in _years_. I sighed, putting my jacket on as I made my way to the elevator at the end of the corridor. Entering, I pressed ‘Lobby’ and waited for the doors to close. I was thankful that I was alone in the elevator, the thick glass showcasing all Midgar has to offer, the night lights casting an ethereal glow over the entirety of the city.

_I haven’t been this happy in years_. I smiled, and began laughing lightly. Placing the palms of my hands into my face I groaned loudly, continuing to laugh. Honestly I thought my punishment would be a lot worse. I could tell Lazard was in agreement with me, and that he simply had to say what he did because not only is he the President of the largest corporation in the world, but because he let me off easy, he had to cover his tracks. The elevator ‘dinged’ and opened out into the lobby, slightly empty now that the day was coming to an end. I glanced at my phone, wishing for a message from Cloud, but only had an empty screen staring back at me.

“Zack?” Kunsel questioned, a bag hanging over his shoulder, a sure sign that he was heading home for the rest of the day. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you alive again after Lazard called you to his office,” he attempted a joke, probably trying to gauge my reaction. I laughed, zipping my coat slowly.

“Well here I am,” I smiled. “Listen, I’d love to tell you all about my daring and heroic escapades, but I’m sort of looking-”

“I haven’t seen Cloud since the incident. Well, that’s a lie, I saw him run out of the building about an hour ago. Around the same time you were called up to the office,” Kunsel helped, a small smile on his face. I shook my head, a large smile on my face.

“You just know everything don’t you?” I joked.

“Nah, I just knew you and your hard-head wouldn’t listen to a word Lazard said, and be off to find him immediately after,” he laughed. “I’m sorry I can’t help with where he is, but I know for sure he isn’t in the building. I can swing by his barracks and check, I’ll let you know.”

“You’re the best,” I smiled, clapping him on the shoulder lightly as I took off in a jog out of the main entrance. The air whipped my face immediately, and I instantly regretted not wearing a scarf or anything to cover my ears. The temperature must have dropped a solid twenty degrees in the past couple hours; The winter months were quickly closing in on us.

I took my phone out of my pocket, a blank screen staring at me once more, before dialing Cloud’s number. I smiled lightly at the thought that I already had his number memorized. That happens when you stare at it for about an hour. I pressed the phone to my ear, navigating the busy streets. Cars and pedestrians were weaving in and out, eagerly waiting to return to their homes.

“Shit,” I muttered. It didn’t even ring, it went straight to voicemail. “Not the smartest move Cloud,” I sighed to myself. He may have wanted no communication with the outside world right now, but he seriously underestimated my patience and my ability to get whatever I wanted.

I put my phone back into my pocket, setting my sights on the diner. If anybody would have any information on where Cloud was, it was Aerith. I ducked into the nearest alleyway, trying to cut time off of my commute, and picked my pace up to a jog. The diner wasn’t far at all from main headquarters, and with all the side streets I was taking, it was only a matter of minutes before I arrived. The other streets surrounding the outer side of the sector were calmer than the main roads, a sure sign that everybody was tucking in for the night. Maybe it would be easier to find Cloud then. If Aerith didn’t know where he was, then I honestly didn’t know where to start looking.

I turned the last corner, and the diner came into view. Just down the road, I picked my pace up to a run, the cold air whipping into my face so hard that it made it harder to breathe. I finally stopped in front of the doors, placing my hands on my knees to catch my breath. Anyone walking by me would think that I had no athletic ability whatsoever by the way I was gasping. The cold air did nothing for my breathing, or my nerves. I placed my hands on the door handles and pulled them open quickly, disregarding any patrons who were trying to have a quiet meal.

“Aerith!” I yelled, waving my hand towards the back of the diner, multiple sets of eyes turning to find me at the door. I walked towards the back as the brunette leaned over to her boss, probably asking for a small break.

“Zack, what are you doing here this late?” She smiled, removing her apron quickly, Marianne throwing me an annoyed glare. She pulled me to a table in the back, and I immediately sat down, placing my arms around myself to stop the chills breaking my body.

“I’m actually looking for Cloud, have you seen him?” I cut to the chase, sighing as her head shook back and forth.

“Not since this morning, is everything okay?” She asked, causing me to smile. Aerith had always had a keen sense of when something wasn’t quite right.

“Not entirely,” I answered honestly. “Something sort of happened down at the Shinra building, and he ran off about an hour ago. This was the first place I thought to check, but I honestly don’t know where else he could be…” I answered, my smile suddenly faltering. It wasn’t that I was worried about him, his physical safety wasn’t my main concern right now, he was strong, and smart. I knew he’d be okay. What the problem was, that it was shaking me to my core remembering the look he gave me when I punched Reno. Like he was scared of me. I shook my head lightly and licked my lips, sighing. “I just need to make sure he’s okay, that’s all-”

My phone abruptly began vibrating in my pocket, my heart leaping at the possibility that it could be Cloud calling me back. ‘Kunsel’ appeared across the front of my phone, and I answered it quickly, hoping for good news.

“Kunsel, is he back at the barracks?” I asked, not noticing how I was clenching my fist around my cell phone.

“Sorry Zack, but no trace of him. And the others around haven’t seen him either,” he paused. “The good news is though that nobody has any idea about what happened, and the three that caused the issues seem to have the fear of god struck into them from Lazard. I don’t think this will spread further.”

I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “Kunsel, thank you, so much. I gotta go,” I hung up, standing abruptly from the table. “Listen Aerith, I’m sorry but I need to go find him.”

“Zack, wait!” Aerith called out when I got a couple feet away. I stopped quickly, turning to her with an impatient look etched onto my face.

“He mentioned something this morning about his friend Tifa and the bar she owns, Seventh Heaven I think it was called. He said that he wanted to go visit. Maybe you should try there. It’s in the slums of sector seven,” she smiled, slipping her apron back on.

“You’re a godsend Aerith,” I smiled, waving one last goodbye before exiting back into the cold, and hailing a taxi. I didn’t have time to wait for the next train, and I couldn’t tell if my body was shaking because of the cold, or because I was so excited of the prospect of seeing Cloud. I hopped in the taxi, told the driver my destination, and relaxed into the back of my seat.

In such short time, Cloud has managed to turn every part of my being, into complete mush. Sappy, sweet, mush. I wish I could say that I could play it cool when it came to him, but ever since I met him a year ago, I’ve been completely enthralled by him, and yes, I know that sounds obsessive. However if I were a stalker, I would have known he worked at the Beehive. I’d never admit this to him, and I was sort of ashamed to even think this, but I secretly wished I could have actually seen him-

“Sir, I’m going to cut through the backroads instead of driving the main high-line. There seems to be an accident,” the taxi driver spoke evenly.

“No problem, thank you,” I responded, only slightly angry that I was pulled away from my thoughts. The truth is, Cloud owns my thoughts. It sounds incredibly pathetic and sappy to say that, especially after one date, but I can’t deny it.  I _won't_ deny it.

The taxi stopped slowly, and the man turned around. I paid quickly, and got out of the cab trying to find my surroundings. The area was super run down, and there weren’t many people milling about. It honestly unnerved me a little that Cloud would come to a place like this at night, but I tried my best not to judge any of it. I didn’t know these peoples stories.

I found the bar across the street, smiling lightly. It was the nicest looking building in the area, and there was a large neon sign plastered to the roof that read ‘Seventh Heaven.’ I walked up the stairs towards the door and opened it quickly. A bell that was attached to the door rang through the first floor, startling me slightly.

“Just a minute!” A voice yelled from what sounded like a back room. The voice sounded strained, like somebody was doing heavy manual labor. I wrapped my arms around my body, thankful for the semi-warm air pumping out of the heat vents attached to the ceiling. I could hear footsteps coming up a set of stairs, and turned around, facing the bar.

“Welcome to Seventh-” a voice paused. “Wait a minute… Zack Fair?” The voice belonged to a beautiful dark brown haired woman, who strode right up to the front door. I cocked my head, wracking my brain quickly as to how I met her.

“Um, yes?” I answered, not entirely smooth, but the woman in front of me still smiled.

“I’m Tifa! Cloud’s friend,” Tifa spoke politely, leaning her body against one of the support beams. “What brings you out here?”

Tifa, yes! The owner of the bar.  Why i didn't put this information together sooner was beyond me.  I smiled, sighing lightly.  “Well I have a feeling you already know why I’m out here,” I said quickly, watching the small smile dance across the other’s face.

“Maybe so, but humor me,” she said easily, turning around to walk towards the bar. “Last time I checked, _your_ kind didn’t associate themselves with something as low as a business in the slums,” she paused. “Unless there was some sort of motive,” she winked, picking up two shot glasses from the cabinet. She turned around, grabbing an incredibly nice bottle of whiskey, and poured two shots, waving me over to the counter.

“A friend of Cloud’s is a friend of mine,” she smiled, that same sneaky expression on her face. She picked up both shot glasses, and handed one to me. Pushing her’s forward, I met her’s with a soft ‘clink’ before downing the alcohol. I was silently thankful for this gesture, because I was incredibly nervous to be talking to her, and if I was being honest, I think she was nervous to.

“Thanks for that,” I said softly, putting the small glass down on the table. “Let’s cut to the chase though,” I sighed. “You know exactly why I’m here,” I laughed lightly. “Is he here?”

“You’re no fun,” she smiled. “But unfortunately I can’t help you, I haven’t seen him all day,” she sighed. “In fact, I barely see him at all anymore, now that he is _unemployed_ ,” she smiled. “But I’m not mad about that…”

“Not that I’m ignoring what you just said,” I smiled. “But something happened at Shinra today and-”

“What happened?” She interrupted, her playful facade falling immediately. “Is he alright? Did someone hurt him?”

“Well, no… But-”

“But what?”

“Tifa, can you let me finish?” I said quickly, noting the embarrassed expression she gave off. “He’s alright…” I sighed. “Let me just explain it from the beginning.”

This isn’t something I wanted to do, because the second Tifa said he wasn’t here I wanted to go back out and look for him, but she had a right to know. Especially if Cloud hadn’t told her yet. I told her everything, from Reno, to the other cadets, to what I did, and to what happened to me. I’ll admit the last part was selfish of me, but I needed her to know that I tried to protect him. I needed her to know that I was good for him. That she could trust me. I know I was pushing and trying too hard, and as stupid as it sounded, I felt the _need_ to impress her.

She seemed slightly relieved that the other cadets, nor Reno touched him physically, but I could tell that she was still bothered. That was his one stipulation about working at the Beehive. Nobody could find out, and now people knew.  I tried my best to assure her that it wouldn't spread further.

Luckily most of the cadets and upper’s were professional enough to not speak about it, and I was glad to hear that Lazard dealt with Lux, Dante, and Robbins in a way that would make them shut up about the whole situation as well.

I tossed my phone over to Tifa softly. “Give me your number, I’m going to look for him,” I smiled. “I’ll let you know when I find him. Even if it takes all night,” I sighed. She handed me her phone, and I entered my number as well, handing it back to her. She suddenly became very quiet, and I would be lying if I said it didn’t make me nervous.

“Zack…” She began. “I’m not going to lie… I’m still not sure if you’re entirely right for Cloud,” she said softly. “But I see how much you care about him… So…”

“So…?” I questioned, a confused smile on my face.

“So… I _approve_ ,” she smiled lightly, shaking her head from side to side. “But don’t do anything to fuck it up, okay?”

“You got it,” I smiled. “It’s a shame I’m not straight cause-”

“Don’t flatter yourself, you’re not my type,” she spat quickly, a disgusted look on her face.

“I-I was kidding…” My eyes widened as I stuttered.

“I was too,” her expression turned to a smile as she walked from behind the bar counter. “Now get out and go find him, and make sure you let me know.”

I stood up, laughing. “Will do,” I jogged out of the bar quickly, the cold air pelting across my face the second I opened the door. Sector Seven was now a ghost town, and the cold air didn’t help the fact. There was a calmness to the slums that you didn’t find around any of the neighboring boroughs near the Shinra building. If I wasn’t so anxious to find Cloud, I would walk around and try to get to know the place. I ran down the stairs leading to the street, hugging my arms to my chest tightly.

“ _B-Be gentle_ ,” a voice coughed in the distance, causing me to turn my head around. It sounded like it was coming from the alleyway behind the bar.

“ _I’ll fucking do what I want_ ,” a hardened voice spat, this one a little louder. It sounded like it was even closer than the other voice.

I looked around me, not seeing anybody else on the streets, before deciding to walk down the street towards where I thought the voices were coming from.

“ _O-Okay, sir…_ ” A little louder. “ _Nnngh!_ ” A loud grunt of pain. I was getting closer to the noise, but everywhere I turned I saw absolutely nobody. That wasn’t uncommon at this time of the night.

“ _Yeah, there you go, take it, bitch_ ,” this was the loudest yet. I turned my head to the right, towards the alley that connected the two main roads when I saw them. My breath caught in my throat and my eyes widened.

“C-Cloud!” I screamed, rushing towards the man that had him pressed up against the cold brick walls, his pants down to his ankles. I didn’t even register that Cloud was naked from the waist down, all I saw was somebody hurting him and my body took over. I ran at full force, and pushed the man onto his ass, his head hitting off the concrete below us as he let out a loud scream.

“What the fuck?!” He stood up, rushing at me.

“Z-Zack, it’s not what it-”

“Get back!” I yelled at him, swinging my fist at the man running at me.

“I fucking paid for this! Get out of here!” The man yelled, trying to push past me, his jeans unzipped and unbuckled.

“What?” I questioned, confused, rage filling my eyes and my voice.

“Tell him slut! I own you tonight,” he yelled at Cloud, and my temper immediately snapped.

I swung at his face and missed, punching him into the shoulder as he let out a scream. He backed up, and must have realized that I wasn’t going to stop until he was bleeding on the ground.

“Fuck you, man,” he shouted, taking off down the alleyway, zipping and buckling his pants while running.

I turned around, breathing heavily noticing that Cloud had only managed to get his underwear back on. I ran over to him, bending down to grab his pants to help him.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” I spoke quickly, concern lacing my voice.

“Z-Zack it… It wasn’t what it looked like,” Cloud said softly, his face burning red from embarrassment. I scrunched up my face, confused.

“What do you mean? It looked like he was about to fucking rape you Cloud!” I spat, anger finding it’s way into my body.

“H-He wasn’t…”

My mind immediately flashed back to what the man had said.

_I fucking paid for this._

I looked up, into Cloud’s eyes, and he immediately looked away.

_Tell him slut! I own you tonight._

My jaw tensed, and I backed away from him slightly, my eyes staring straight into his despite him looking at the ground.

“Do you want to tell me what this is _really_ about?” I asked, my voice far too calm for the thoughts that were plaguing my mind.

“I-I didn’t want you to find out…”

“Oh my god,” I spoke, my voice giving out barely letting the words fall out. I backed away, my stomach clenching as my dinner threatened to come back up. A million thoughts were traveling through my mind as my hands came to grab my head, massaging lightly on my temples to calm myself down. I backed up further, shaking my head, my body deciding that I needed to leave.

“N-No! Zack!” He lunged forward, wrapping his arms tightly around my entire body. “Please just listen to me! _Please!_ ” The way he was squeezing me felt like he was holding onto me for dear life, afraid he was going to crumble if he wasn’t holding on. I relaxed my jaw and closed my eyes, slowing my breathing down the best I could. I sighed eventually, and relaxed my body. I could tell that Cloud noticed this, but he showed no signs of letting go. In fact, he pressed closer to me, grabbing on even tighter. I removed my arms from his grasp and put them around him, squeezing tightly.

“… Shhh…” I paused. “Just… Just relax, okay?” I sighed, rubbing small circles into his back. “I’ll listen. But _everything_ gets placed onto the table. I mean it this time,” I said softly. “No more secrets.”

He removed himself from me, tears muddled in his eyes threatening to fall. “… I promise…” He grabbed my hand and began pulling me down the alley. “B-But not here… Come with me.”

 


End file.
